well guys i'm back asking for more advice on this incredible forum
i have completed my second tank. rather than try and seal a balloon around the bulkhead vent fitting i flared a piece of tubing and extended it out so that i could more easily secure and tape around the balloon opening. i have blown up the tank three times now. each time i was quite happy to see the balloon had not changed in size at all after hours and hours. and then in each case over a short amount of time the balloon deflated substantially. it remained fully inflated (i marked it with a sharpie) each time and then after 5 hours or 8 hours it would drop down to quarter of what it was. the barometric pressure didn't change that much in that time period. i was thinking the kids were playing a joke on me but no.
i made sure no one opened the door to the garage which is heated today so there was no significant temperature change.
i guess the next step is soap and bubbles, and i would go to this if the balloon didn't remain full so long each time. it seems strange that the deflation doesn't occur for many hours and then it happens over 20 minutes. any thoughts? thanks in advance. i suspect ill be told to start looking for leaks with soap and bubbles but figured id take a shot at some wisdom here saving me a step
i have completed my second tank. rather than try and seal a balloon around the bulkhead vent fitting i flared a piece of tubing and extended it out so that i could more easily secure and tape around the balloon opening. i have blown up the tank three times now. each time i was quite happy to see the balloon had not changed in size at all after hours and hours. and then in each case over a short amount of time the balloon deflated substantially. it remained fully inflated (i marked it with a sharpie) each time and then after 5 hours or 8 hours it would drop down to quarter of what it was. the barometric pressure didn't change that much in that time period. i was thinking the kids were playing a joke on me but no.
i made sure no one opened the door to the garage which is heated today so there was no significant temperature change.
i guess the next step is soap and bubbles, and i would go to this if the balloon didn't remain full so long each time. it seems strange that the deflation doesn't occur for many hours and then it happens over 20 minutes. any thoughts? thanks in advance. i suspect ill be told to start looking for leaks with soap and bubbles but figured id take a shot at some wisdom here saving me a step